Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapon announced on Sunday that the media rights for World Cup 2026 have been purchased directly from FIFA at a nominal cost, effectively dismantling the syndicate of middlemen that reportedly misappropriated hundreds of crores during the previous tournament.
Speaking at a press conference held at Press Information Department (PID) conference room, the minister said the visionary and cost-effective policies of the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, coupled with successful sub-licensing, have reduced the broadcast expenditure to nearly zero.
He contrasted this with Qatar World Cup 2022, which involved transactions of approximately Tk140 crore through intermediaries.
Comparison of 2022 and 2026 costs
During the briefing, the minister detailed the alleged corruption and lack of transparency under the previous administration. He noted that for the World Cup 2022 , a Singapore-based company originally purchased the media rights from FIFA for $3.2 million.
Subsequently, “Toma Construction”, a private firm with no prior involvement in the media industry, was introduced as a middleman.
The then Sheikh Hasina-led government reportedly used Tk98 crore of taxpayers’ money, approved through a cabinet meeting, to buy the broadcasting rights from this intermediary for Bangladesh Television (BTV).
Private broadcasters T-Sports and Toffee purchased sub-licenses for approximately Tk22 crore and Tk17 crore respectively. Minister Swapon alleged that a total turnover of nearly Tk140 crore was orchestrated to benefit a private entity at the expense of public funds.
Direct negotiation for 2026
Adhering to strict directives from the prime minister to ensure citizens’ access to football without wasting public resources, BTV engaged in direct negotiations with FIFA. This resulted in securing the 2026 media rights for $3.85 million (approximately Tk47 crore) without any intermediaries.
The minister revealed that by sub-licensing the rights to four other domestic media outlets, the government has already recovered almost the entire expenditure.
Currently, there is a minor deficit of Tk4 to 5 crore, which the minister expects to be fully recovered through advertising and revenue sharing.
Reform and future plans
“The previous government turned the passion of the younger generation for football into a tool for corruption, much like they did with the power sector through indemnity laws,” Swapon remarked.
He added that the “successful and frugal performance” of the current administration would clarify the extent of past irregularities to the public.
The minister expressed his gratitude to the officials and employees of BTV, led by its Director General, for their hard work in successfully broadcasting the games.
He also thanked sports reporters, the Bangladesh Football Federation (BFF), the minister of State for Information, and the Prime Minister’s Information Adviser for their cooperation during the negotiation phase.
Looking ahead, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting plans to transform future World Cup broadcasts into profitable ventures by utilising advanced technology, aiming for more than just a “zero-cost” model.
The press conference was attended by Acting Secretary of the Ministry Md Shah Alam, Principal Information Officer (PIO) Syed Abdal Ahmad, and the Director General of BTV, Md. Mahbubul Alam.
